It was just before sunset.  The sky was a brazen riot of gold above the plains, the air almost glowing with that special light that only comes just before all light begins to fade.  Ace Rimmer looked up at the sky and breathed its beauty and purity.  For this moment, that was all he wanted.  In a minute he would have to look around himself and see the devastation that lay around his feet.  The blood, the bodies, the wounded men who would never see a sky like this again; but for now, for these few seconds, he just wanted to see this beauty and think two simple words over and over.  We won.

            The men had held their nerve and slowly but surely the Furies army had been worn down until the few remaining fighters had lost hope and fled the onslaught.

Rimmer didn't care that a few had got away; they couldn't breed.          They would keep out of the way of the village for the next few years and eventually die out.  They had done it.  They had saved the universe and the human race. 

            Finally, he came back to what was happening around him.  He stopped a young man who looked relatively unscathed, "What's your name, son?"

"Eric," he replied, looking pleased to have been noticed by Ace.

"Do me a favour will you, Eric, old sport.  Run back to the village.  There's an android waiting in Ethan's hut.  Tell him the good news and to pass it on.  But come on back here afterwards.  We're going to need help getting some of these chaps home."

"Yes, Sir."  Eric took off at a run.  Ace watched him with a weary smile.  It was time to find the guys.

            He spotted Ethan at once, picking his way across the battlefield towards him.  He looked tired and was bleeding in a few places, but other than that he seemed fine.  "It's over," he said softly, when he reached Ace.

"It is," he confirmed.  "Where's Davey-Boy got to?  I feel the need for a group hug or something."

"I haven't seen him for hours," Ethan said, his expression betraying his thoughts.  The daze of contentment Rimmer had been feeling disappeared sharply and was replaced by a lead weight in his stomach.  He kept his face neutral.  "Not to worry, eh?  I'm sure he's not far away."  He spotted the Cat making his way towards them and waved.  "Ah," he said, relieved, "He'll know where he's got to."  As soon as the Cat was within shouting distance, he cupped his hands round his mouth and called over to him, "You seen Skipper, old chum?"  The Cat shook his head.  Rimmer started to feel vaguely sick.  "Sorry, bud," the Cat said when he reached them, "I haven't seen him since the scaly dudes started getting all up close and personal."

            Rimmer and Ethan looked at each other, this time with twin expressions.  Ethan gently put a hand on Rimmer's shoulder, "I think we'd better start looking," he said softly.

            They split up and started combing the battlefield.  The Cat tried to see if he could scent track him, but there were too many bodies and the stench of blood covered everything.

            Rimmer darted to and fro among the corpses, his heart pounding in his chest.  In his head he kept going back to the strange voice that had urged him to leave Starbug all that time ago.  You will see him again before the end.  Was this the end?  Was this the reassurance he had been given?  Two measly bloody weeks together before being separated forever?  He felt cheated.  He wanted to scream at the injustice of it all.  He was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost didn't see him.

            He was lying on the ground a few feet away, near two other bodies, utterly still.  Rimmer dropped heavily to his knees beside him; and saw the two arrows protruding from his side.  "No..." he whispered.  He hadn't believed it.  He'd been worried but he hadn't really believed it.  Deep down he'd been convinced that any moment Lister would appear on the outskirts of the battlefield; a huge grin on his face as they celebrated their victory.  "Listy..." he said brokenly, as the tears started to run down his face.

            And suddenly, Lister's eyes fluttered.  Opened.  Searched.  Rimmer gasped and scrambled forward to lean over him, "Lister!  My God, you're alive!"  Completely forgetting to be Ace for a minute he shouted back over his shoulder, "Somebody get a stretcher over here!  Now!"  He bent over Lister and put his hand gently against his forehead, "It's going to be okay," he said soothingly.

"Rimmer..." he whispered faintly.

"It's okay.  I'm here."

"My side..."

"You're going to be fine, just lie still."

"Too late..." Lister murmured weakly.

"Don't say that," Rimmer said sharply, "Don't you give up on me, Lister!"

"It hurts so much...I can't..." His eyes started to glaze over and he swooned.

"No!"  Rimmer lifted his head up into his lap and held him tightly, rocking gently back and forth.  "Stay with me," he whispered, "Don't you dare leave me like this!  Not now!"

            "I'm so sorry..." Lister whispered, "It shouldn't have been this way.  I should have told you...long ago..."

"I know," Rimmer whispered back, swallowing his tears, "I'm sorry too."  He found Lister's hand and squeezed it, "But we both know now," he said, "We're both here and we're together.  That's the important thing."

            A shadow fell over them and Rimmer looked up to see Ethan and the Cat holding a makeshift sling.  "Come on.  Let's get him back to the village.  Quick." Ethan said.  They lifted him gently and as they made their way back, he opened his eyes again briefly.  "Rimmer?"

"Yes?"

"Did we win?"

            Rimmer smiled, "We won," he said.  Lister lay back and sighed contentedly, then closed his eyes and didn't open them again all the way back.